Have yourself a Merry bargain Christmas

By Maya Hattenstone | 13th December 2016

Christmas is one of our favourite times of year. A time for living, a time for believing â some (not naming any named, *ahem* Cliff Richard) may say. To continue quoting Cliff, itâs also a time for giving and a time for getting â which means it can actually be one of the most expensive times of the year.

And while we should all enjoy indulging with family and friends, we need to be careful to ensure our Christmas splurging doesnât put us in to longer-term debt.

Itâs no wonder that many of us overspend during the festive period with the added pressureÂ of showering our loved ones with expensive presents â which has certainly not been helped by Insta bragging. Itâs reported that Britain splashes out more than any other country in Europe at Christmas, and is second only to America in the league of big spenders. Recent research from RetailMeNot showed UK families will spend on average Â£473.83 on presents this year â while others report average spending of more than Â£800.

Now you donât have to be Martin Lewis to realise that this is no way to balance your budget. So thatâs why weâre encouraging you to have a great, fun Christmas without spending a fortune – and here’s how…

DIY Xmas Presents:

DIY presents not only save loads of money, youâll also find that your friends, family and loved ones will appreciate the effort more.

Take a look at this great blog for some DIY inspiration. We particularly love the biscuits in a box. Yum!!

Rather than buying cosmetics for someone, why not make them? Yes, thatâs right, thereâs no need for you to spend loads of money on expensive products when you can hand-produce them. It might not come from a top brand but it will be more appreciated because of the effort you put in.

Discount Codes

If youâre not the artistic type, be creative with your internet searching and youâll find some great discount codes that can make your gift buying a lot cheaper.

Havenât got round to buying your Christmas tree yet? Why not make your own? Thereâs lots of unique ideas hereÂ – we love the egg carton Xmas tree – it looks as if itâs straight off the Doctor Who set!

Free Christmas Gift Cheques

Why not use the utterly brilliant trick of âfree Christmas gift chequesâ?Â Donât bother wasting money you donât have, just send out a cheque pledging to do something nice whether itâs baking a cake for your grandparents, child minding for your aunt, a massage for your mum or dog walking for your, erm, dog.

Charity Gifts

Thanks to this great tip from in the Guardian. Agree with friends to spend a maximum Â£10 on presents and shop at charity shops. Itâs amazing how much great stuff you can get there at basement prices, and how much fun you can have finding them.

Travel

And while youâre doing the family rounds, make sure youâre splitting train fares â i.e dividing your journey up into multiple bits without unnecessarily changing trains every two stops.

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What is Money for Life?

Money for Life is a three-year programme inspiring a generation to make the most of their money. From empowering you to feel confident and start talking openly about money to providing high-quality training and crucial support systems; Money for Life equips 16-25 year olds across the UK with the knowledge, life skills and provision needed to manage their money. The three-year programme is delivered by UK Youth and is funded by Lloyds Banking Group.